Paint bucket hanger attachment for ladders



April 11, 1967 A. .1. BELLI PAINT BUCKET HANGER ATTACHMENT FOR LADDERS Filed Feb. 15. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 4/I/JELMO 5544/,

ATTOE/VEY-S.

A. J. BELLI 3,313,507

PAINT BUCKET HANGER ATTACHMENT FOR LADDERS April 11, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 15. 1966 INVENTOR. 41/550140 c/. 54-214 United States Patent O 3,313,507 PAINT BUCKET HANGER ATTACHMENT FOR LADDERS Anselmo J. Belli, 17 Yates St., West Haven, Conn. 06516 Filed Feb. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 536,594 6 Claims. (Cl. 243-211) This is a continuation-in-part of my previously-filed patent application entitled, Paint Bucket Hanger Attachment for Ladders, Ser. No. 412,125, filed Nov. 18, 1964, now abandoned.

This invention relates to support devices, and more particularly to an improved paint bucket hanger attachment for use on ladders.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved paint bucket supporting attachment for use on a ladder, said attachment being simple in construction, being easy to install, and being readily adjustable so that it can be fastened at any desired point along a ladder with which it is to be used.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved paint bucket supporting attachment for use with a ladder, said attachment being inexpensive to fabricate, being durable in construction, being arranged so that its hook element can be folded to a retracted, non-interfering position, and being designed so that it can be fastened at any desired point along a ladder to support a paint bucket adjacent thereto in a safe and secure manner.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of improved paint bucket supporting attachment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical cross-sectional View taken substantially on the line 33 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged front elevational view of the paint bucket supporting bracket device of FIGURE 1, showing the supporting hook member positioned at a different location than in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of a ladder provided with an improved paint bucket supporting bracket device such as that illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 4, and illustrating the manner of use of said device.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of a ladder, similar to FIGURE 5, but showing a modified form of paint bucket supporting attachment according to the present invention installed on a ladder and supporting a paint bucket.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged front elevational view of the paint bucket supporting bracket device employed in FIG- URE 6.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the paint bucket supporting bracket device of FIGURES 6 and 7.

FIGURE 9 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 99 of FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 10-10 of FIGURE 9.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to 3,3135%? Patented Apr. 11, 1967 FIGURES 1 to 5, 11 generally designates an improved paint bucket supporting bracket device according to the present invention. The device 11 comprises a generally C-shaped main body 12. of suitable rigid material, such as relatively rigid metal bar material, said body being substantially rectangular in outline, whereby to define a front wall 13, the sidewalls 14 and 15, and the opposing flanges 16 and 17 extending toward each other and eX- tending parallel to the front wall 13.

The sleeve-like body 12 is dimensioned so as to slidably fit on either side leg 18 of a conventional ladder 19, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, so that the body 12 may be adjustably positioned along said ladder at a desired location thereon. For fastening the body 12 at the selected location, the sidewall 15 is provided with a threaded plug member 21) whose inside surface is covered with a layer of resilient deformable material 21, such as rubber, or the like, providing a secure frictional grip against the ladder leg 18 when the plug member 20 is tightened thereagainst. The plug member 25) is formed with a transverse groove or slot 22 to receive the blade of a screwdriver or similar implement.

The front wall 13 is formed with a generally rectangular aperture 24, defining the respective top and bottom marginal portions 25 and 26 above and below the aperture 24;. The top marginal portion 25 is formed with a plurality of spaced vertical bores 27, for example, three of such bores, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 4. Designated at 28 is a supporting hook member formed of a single piece of relatively stiff Wire material and having a vertical shank portion 29 which is receivable in a selected bore 27, the top end of said vertical shank portion being bendable to a horizontal position, as shown at 30, in FIG- URE 4, to support the vertical shank portion in the selected bore 27. A coiled spring 31 is provided on the lower portion of the shank portion 29, hearing between the top edge of the aperture 24 and the horizontal-extending intermediate portion 32 of member 28, whereby to provide a downwardly-directed frictional force acting on element 32 which acts to hold the member 32 in any adjusted position relative to the plane of the aperture 24. Thus, the member 32, whose outer end portion is formed with a generally U-shaped supporting hook element 33, may be adjusted either to an outwardly-extending position, projecting outwardly from the plane of the aperture 24, in which position it is adapted to support a paint bucket 34, or may be folded inwardly to a retracted position received within the aperture 24 and substantially coplanar therewith, so that it is non-interfering with respect to the associated ladder 19.

As shown in FIGURE 5, a paint bucket 34 provided with the conventional bail 35 can be supported at any desired location along the ladder 19 by first adjusting the member 11 to the desired position on the side leg 18, and then extending the arm portion 32 of the hook member 23 so that the hook 33 thereof projects outwardly, whereupon the bail 35 may be engaged in said hook portion 33. The shank element 29 may be engaged in one of the side bores 27, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, so that the bucket 34 will be supported in a position wherein it bears against the ladder side leg 18 and, therefore, cannot swing freely, whereby oscillation of the paint in the bucket and splashing of the paint over the rim of the bucket are prevented.

Obviously, the supporting attachment 11 can be fas tened at any selected location along the ladder side leg 18, and can be employed on either of the side legs, as required. It will be further noted that the holding flanges 16 and 17 are spaced sufiiciently apart so as to provide ample clearance for the rungs 36 of the ladder.

Preferably, a plurality of bracket devices 11 are employed on the ladder and are left on the ladder permanently, being used, as required. Vlhen the hook elements of the bracket devices are not in use, they are preferably folded to retracted positions in the associated apertures 24, so that they do not project outwardly and, therefore, do not cause any interference with the free movement or storage of the ladder.

As will be readily apparent, by employing devices 11 on a ladder, as above-described, the supporting devices will always be available when needed, cannot be lost, and cannot fall into paint buckets, as in the case of some of the paint bucket supporting devices Previously employed.

Referring now to FIGURES 6 to 10, 11' designates another form of improved paint bucket supporting bracket device according to the present invention which may be employed in substantially the same manner as the form illustrated in FIGURES l to and described above. Thus, the modified form of bracket device 11' comprises a generally C-shaped main body 12 of suitable rigid material, the body being substantially rectangular in outline, whereby to define a main wall 13 and sidewalls 14" and 15. As in the case of the previously-described form of the invention, the C-shaped body 12 is dimensioned so as to slidably fit on either side leg 18 of a conventional ladder 19, as illustrated in FIGURE 6, so that the body 12' may be adjustably positioned along the ladder at any desired location thereon. For fastening the body '12 at a selected location, the sidewall 15 is provided with a clamping screw 20' having the inner clamping foot 21 and the flattened outer head or hand-grip portion 22'.

The opposite sidewall 14' is formed with the intermediate open portion or notch 24' of generally rectangular shape and extending around the corner defined between wall 14 and main wall 13, so that it terminates at the inner vertical edge 25', as shown in FIGURE 9.

Edge 25' is spaced a substantial distance inwardly from the plane of sidewall 14.

The substantially rectangular notch 24 defines respective top and bottom arms 26 and 27, and the free ends of said arms are formed with respective vertically-spaced pairs of axially-aligned pivot sleeves 28', 2S and 29, 29'. For example, the spaced pivot sleeves 28 are formed on respective vertically-spaced fingers defined by a longitudinally-extending end notch 30 in top arm 26' and the vertically-spaced pivot sleeves 29' are like-wise formed on the ends of top and bottom fingers defined above and below a longitudinally-extending end notch 31' formed in the bottom arm 27'.

Designated generally at 33 is a swingable bail-supporting hook member formed of a single piece of relatively stiff wire material and comprising the generally T-shaped intermediate portion 34- connected by respective inwardly-convexly-curved sidearms 35, 35' with respective aligned top and bottom vertical pivot shaft elements 36' and 37. The upper vertical shaft element 36 is rotatably received in the vertically-spaced pivot sleeves 28', 28', and the lower vertical pivot shaft element 37 is rotatably received in the vertically-spaced lower pivot sleeve elements 29, 29'. The upper vertical shaft element 36 is integrally-formed with a reversely-bent depending stop lug portion 39' engageable against the top arm 26' to limit the inward rotation of the head element 34' substantially to the position shown in FIGURE 8. In this position, the vertical bight element of the head member 34 is received adjacent to the vertical inner edge 25' of the open notch portion 24, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 9.

The lower vertical pivot shaft portion 37' is formed integrally with the reversely-curved upstanding spring anchor lug 40 to which is connected one end of a coiled biasing spring 41 which surrounds the vertical shaft portion 37 and which is received between the pivot sleeve elements 29, 29, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 8. The end 43' of spring 41 bears against the inside surface of arm 27, the spring acting to bias the hook element 33 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG- URE 9, namely, to the position shown therein wherein the vertical bight element of head 34 is received adjacent edge 25. However, spring 41 is relatively light so that its biasing force. can be easily opposed, for example, by the weight transmitted thereto through the bail 35 of a paint bucket 34 suspended on hook member 33' in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 6.

In using the bracket device 11', it is fastened on the side leg 18 of a ladder 19 in the manner above-described at a desired position thereon. Normally, the spring 41 retains the hook element 33 in its retracted position, shown in FIGURES 8 and 9. When it is desired to employ the bracket device to support a paint bucket 34, the hook element 33 is swung outwardly and the bail 35 of the paint bucket is engaged over the hook element, being supported on the upper sidearm 35' of the hook element in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 7, the weight of the paint bucket 34 acting to hold the hook element in its outwardly-projecting position against the biasing force of its spring 41'.

As soon as the paint bucket 34 is removed, namely, when its bail 35 is disengaged from the hook element 33', the spring 41' automatically retracts the hook element and returns it to its inoperative positioning adjacent edge 25, shown in FIGURES 8 and 9.

The clamping arm portion of the bracket device 11' is preferably reduced in height, for example, by providing corner notches 50, 50' at one side of main wall 13 so as to define a tongue 51 which is bent at right angles to define the sidewall 15. By reducing the height of the bracket device at one side, as above-described, the device may be easily positioned along a ladder 19' with minimum interference from the ladder rungs 36.

While certain specific embodiments of improved supporting bracket devices for use on ladders to support paint buckets have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A paint bucket supporting device for use on a ladder comprising a generally C-shaped main body slidably engageable on the leg of a ladder, threaded clamping means on one sidewall of the main body clampingly engageable with the ladder leg, the opposite sidewall of said main body being for-med with a generally rectangular open portion having top and bottom edges, verticallyaligned pivot sleeve means on said opposite sidewall respectively adjacent the top and bottom edges of said open portion, a bail-supporting hook element having respectively upwardly and downwardly-projecting pivot shaft elements rotatably-engaged in said pivot sleeve means, said hook element being swingable in and out of said open portion, and stop means on one of said shaft elements engageable with said opposite sidewall to limit said hook element to a position in said open portion so as to be disposed substantially coplanar with said opposite sidewall.

2. The paint bucket-supporting device of claim 1, and wherein said stop means comprises a reversely-bentdepending stop lug portion integrally-formed on the upper shaft element.

3. The paint bucket-supporting device of claim 2, and a reversely-curved upstanding anchor lug foamed integrally with the lower vertical pivot shaft element, and a coiled spring surrounding said lower vertical pivot shaft element and having one end bearing against said opposite sidewall and its other end bearing against said anchor lug, biasing said hook element into said open portion.

4. The paint bucket-supporting device of claim 3, and wherein said pivot sleeve means adjacent the bottom edge of said open portion comprises a pair of vertically-spaced pivot sleeve elements, said coiled spring being located between said pivot sleeve elements.

5. The paint bucket-supporitng device of claim 4, and wherein said open portion comprises a substantially rectangular notch defining respective top and bottom arms, said vertically-aligned pivot sleeve means being -formed on the ends of said arms.

6. The paint bucket-supporting device of claim 5, and wherein said bail-supporting hook element is formed of a single piece of relatively stiff wire material and comprises a generally T-shaped intermediate portion connected by respective inwardly-convexly-curved side arms,

said upwardly and downwardly-projecting pivot shaft elements being formed at the ends of said side arms.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 296,696 4/1884 Kuhlman 248--290 965,660 7/1910 Samson 248290 1,243,732 10/1917 Goss et al. 248-210 1,260,168 3/1918 Engle 248290 1,651,969 12/l1927 SaXton 248-290 2,367,256 1/1945 Atkins 248-210 2,892,207 6/ 1959 Olson 248--227 X FOREIGN PATENTS 110,389 10/1917 Great Britain. 1

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

20 R. P. SEITTER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PAINT BUCKET SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR USE ON A LADDER COMPRISING A GENERALLY C-SHAPED MAIN BODY SLIDABLY ENGAGEABLE ON THE LEG OF A LADDER, THREADED CLAMPING MEANS ON ONE SIDEWALL OF THE MAIN BODY CLAMPINGLY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE LADDER LEG, THE OPPOSITE SIDEWALL OF SAID MAIN BODY BEING FORMED WITH A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR OPEN PORTION HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES, VERTICALLYALIGNED PIVOT SLEEVE MEANS ON SAID OPPOSITE SIDEWALL RESPECTIVELY ADJACENT THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES OF SAID OPEN PORTION, A BAIL-SUPPORTING HOOK ELEMENT HAVING RESPECTIVELY UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY-PROJECTING PIVOT SHAFT ELEMENTS ROTATABLY-ENGAGED IN SAID PIVOT SLEEVE MEANS, SAID HOOK ELEMENT BEING SWINGABLE IN AND OUT OF SAID OPEN PORTION, AND STOP MEANS ON ONE OF SAID SHAFT ELEMENTS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID OPPOSITE SIDEWALL TO LIMIT SAID HOOK ELEMENT TO A POSITION IN SAID OPEN PORTION SO AS TO BE DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR WITH SAID OPPOSITE SIDEWALL. 